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One of the most popular beginner’s decks, the Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot

With the sheer range of Tarot card decks that are available out there in the market, it can be an overwhelming experience figuring out how to choose the ideal deck for you. Whether you’re an absolute beginner or a seasoned professional, here are some top tips on how to pick the right Tarot deck for you!

What if I just like that one the most?

It could be that, right off the bat, you are naturally drawn to one particular deck which just seems to call out to you from amongst all the others. You feel that you have some sort of connection to this deck and it seems to speak to you on some level. It’s perfectly fine to purchase the deck that you are most drawn to. We tend to work better and relate better to the deck that we are most attracted to. As always and with anything else in life, follow your gut, especially when picking the Tarot card that’s right for you! You definitely don’t need to pick the flavor of the month just because it’s the most popular.

Absolute Beginner versus Seasoned Professional

If you’re an absolute beginner, it makes sense to go with a card deck for which there’s a lot of information out there to study from. The Rider Waite Tarot is the most well known and commonly referenced deck type for beginners and it’s one deck to definitely consider as an absolute beginner. There’s a huge amount of resources out there for this particular deck and many of the courses and classes are based around the visuals and symbology of these particular cards. The Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot ( click picture alongside for details and reviews on this deck at my Amazon store) is a very popular version of the traditional deck with enhanced coloring and aesthetics.

Now, most decks in the market do carry a small accompanying booklet which explains the card meanings, provides spread ideas or other additional information. Just remember that sometimes if you pick a relatively not so commonly well known or used Tarot deck you may have limited resources to additionally study the meanings in more depth or on a more expansive level.

If you’re a seasoned professional , on the other hand, you may simply feel like exploring and checking out different types of decks to see what you are drawn to. It’s perfectly natural to feel like changing your current deck after a period of use as a natural part of your own evolution. Sometimes you may even feel like working with a more advanced or esoteric card deck and this is perfectly fine. Follow what feels right for you.

In Part II of this series we will look at some practical tips on what to look for when purchasing Tarot decks. Stay tuned, more coming up next week…

The Tarot originally started life as a pack of 78 playing cards back in Europe around the mid-15th century. From around the 18th century onwards, the Tarot increasingly started finding usage as a tool of divination amongst occultists and mystics. In it’s present state of evolution the Tarot has a lot of distinctive characteristics. Let’s take a look at what Tarot’s like in the 21st century!

Tarot is about informed guidance

In its current avatar, whilst Tarot still continues to be used as a form of divination, modern day Tarot readers prefer to see the Tarot as a tool of guidance first and foremost ahead of its fortune telling ability. You’ll find that a lot of modern Tarot readers prefer not to do predictive readings in the sense of “When will I meet Mr. Right?” or “When do you see me getting a job?”…etc. The modern day Tarot reader prefers to look into things such “What’s getting in the way of meeting Mr. Right?”, or “What are the things you need to do to increase your chances of getting this particular job?” for example. This subtle rewording has some very powerful effects which inturn transform the Tarot from a simple fortune telling tool to a map of empowered living. The concept of ethics is also slowly gaining foothold in Tarot readings. Ethical tarot readers do not dispense medical or legal advice for which there are plenty of qualified professionals otherwise available.

Tarot is not a scary instrument of impending doom

Tarot is often times viewed as being mysterious, spooky and “evil” and continues to be misunderstood in many quarters even today. It’s interesting to note that everything in nature is embedded with a “light” and a “shadow” aspect and it’s really about which aspect you feed and honor in your life. Do you, for instance, speak your mind when you see that justice is not being done or do you go around judging everyone and assume an exaggerated moral superiority – both are light and shadow aspects of the same single quality. There is a tendency to misuse Tarot in some quarters and this is not unique to the world of Tarot. At the end of the day whether you are a reader or a querant, follow aspects that are of truth, kindness, justice, compassion and faith and you will always be on the right track.

Tarot is mobile, portable and downloadable.

The really good thing about Tarot in the 21st century is that it’s increasingly getting mobile and portable. You no longer need to visit a Tarot reader face-to-face to get a reading. The power of modern technology means that you can easily get a reading on the phone or on Skype or even via email. Distances don’t limit how effective a Tarot reading can be. Additionally the huge amount of resources on the net on Tarot means that a student has access to unlimited information to support his or her interest in learning this arcane and wonderful art. Student, Novice, Practitioner or Teacher, there’s something out there for everyone!

Throughout the coming weeks, I’m looking forward to sharing with you everything I know about the Tarot. I love hearing from you so feel free to drop comments, questions and feedback in the “Leave a comment section” below! Until the next episode of the weekly Tarot blog, have fun and stay safe!

If you’ve been asking this question and wanting to figure it out for what seems like the longest time ..read on! This article is just for you…..

What is this thing called life purpose anyway?

To put it in the most simplest of ways, your life purpose is something that you love to do and also makes you feel like you are creating an impact on the world.

Whilst life purpose is something that a few people have all figured out, it doesn’t really have to be that much of a mystery to the rest of us. What we do need to understand, however, is that life purpose is all about intention and action. You not only have to understand what your life purpose is, you have to act to make it a reality!

Here are some of my top tips on how to identify your life purpose!

1.Visualise Your Ideal Life

Take yourself forward in time in your mind’s eye, and visualize what your ideal lifestyle would be like. Are you running your own company? Are you the lead dancer in the local ballet? Are you writing motivational articles for the masses? What does your average ideal day look like? Identify the type of things and people that you want in your ideal life. Once you’ve visualized your ideal life, what is the next step you can take to fulfil this dream? It can be the tiniest of steps, but remember, take that step and keep at it!

2.Take extended ME-times

It’s easy to lose sight of what’s important to us in the midst of what seems like the unending and relentless rat-race. Every once in a while, and as often as you can, take a break from the TV, the phone, your family, your friends and your job. Distance,relaxation and introspection can really help you in identifying what you really want to do, far, far from the madding crowd.

3. Help others

Do small things to help others. Volunteer at the local charity. Mentor your juniors on the back of your field of expertise. Doing something that makes an impact in your community can help you feel like you’re a person of value and importance, and can also help you figure out what really excites you..

4. Believe it and own it

Of course you can do it. You can do everything that you dreamed possible. Don’t give up. Keep at it…and eventually you will get there.

5. Journal

One of the most effective ways to discover your life’s purpose is to journal. Take a pen and piece of paper, and spend some time thinking about your life purpose. Write down everything that comes into mind. If you don’t get anything today, try again tomorrow and the next day until you get flashes of insight. You never know – you might just inspired!

6. Try something new.

Over a period of time we start getting used to a way of living, in which boredom and grudgery slowly starts to creep in. Trying something new is a way of expanding your mind and exposing you to different experiences. This in turn can help you realize something fresh and exciting that could be a potential life purpose. So what are you waiting for? Take that new class, try that balloon ride, trek to the Himalayas. Life is one great journey – embrace it!

Work on as many of these tips whenever and as often as you can and eventually, as sure as night and day, you will find that one thing that really excites you and makes you wanna get up every morning excited. When you find your purpose, there will be not be a single trace of doubt. So from today, stop thinking and start living. Excuse me, your life purpose awaits!

Today I thought I’d do some myth-busting about the Tarot seeing that many people have a lot of misconceptions about how Tarot readings actually work. So, voila!…. Here are my Top 3 myths about the Tarot BUSTED !

1. You Need to be Psychic to read the Tarot:

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Whilst there are quite a few gifted “psychics” and “intuitives” who are naturally gifted at reading the tarot, the vast majority of Tarot cards readers, interpret them through knowledge honed from extensive study and application of card theory. There are 78 cards in the traditional Tarot deck and with practice, a Tarot card reader can get a feel of the situation based on the way the cards fall in the reading and their position relative to other cards in the deck. It must be said though that Tarot is a great tool for intuitive development, so even if you don’t start off as a psychic, with extensive practice and application on the cards, you start getting more comfortable with opening up to your natural intuitive ability.

2. The Tarot is a Tool for Prediction:

The Tarot , as is normally used by modern day readers, is first and foremost a guidance tool. All the answers are already there within you and the Tarot simply lays them out where you can see them for yourself. Tarot can provide you options and possible solutions and outcomes. It can also sometimes bring to the light not so positive aspects of your personality which need to be worked on. Yes, some people do use Tarot for predictions but understand that the future is not set in stone and the future can be altered on any given moment by the decisions you choose to make. It’s also important to remember that most ethical readers do not provide medical or legal diagnosis.

3. The Tarot is evil:

This one gives me the chuckles. I guess in every spiritual path you have a choice and even in traditional religion people can go down the dark side. For example the dark side of traditional organized religion would be the abuse of power or fundamentalism. Modern day Tarot readers are, for the most part, your average bunch of harmless boys or girls next door. Having said that, there will always be the few dark sheep in every group, and in such cases let your intuition be your guide. Always go to someone who is genuine and radiates kindness, compassion, honesty and detachment in their persona and readings.

So there you go, those are my Top 3 Tarot Myths Busted! If you have any questions on the above, please fee free to drop me a comment!

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Having an awesome life isn’t something that just happens as we’re strolling along one fine day. Creating the life of your dreams involves setting smart goals and utilizing your available resources in the best possible to way to achieve success.

The main player in achieving an awesome life is YOU. Yes YOU! It’s what YOU put into it, that defines and shapes the way your life pans out from moment to moment.

So, here are my TOP 5 TIPS to achieving an awesome life:

1. Get Going!:
The very first step in achieving awesomeness is simply to just get going. Simply thinking about your dreams, and planning about your dreams will get you nowhere until you actively start putting in the WORK to achieve them. So take that first step which you’ve been putting off forever. And just go for it!

2. Eliminate distractions and obstructions:
Get rid of things that no longer serve you whether it’s a depressing work situation, friends that constantly drag you down, endless clutter in the house and on your mailbox, and everything else that just seems squash, cloud and negate your desire to achieve your best life.

Keep more of the things in your life that motivate and inspire you to greatness. Surround yourself with positivity, happiness and love;and more of the things that make you want to achieve your personal greatness. You’re only as good as what you surround yourself with.

3. Focus on the Essentials:
Prioritise! Don’t waste time on things that aren’t on the agenda to Awesome living. Focus, focus, focus. With single point concentration, train yourself to focus on those things and ONLY those things that lead you closer to your personal vision of an AWESOME life.

5. Control your thoughts:
Always think in terms of success and achievement. And if you slip even for the briefest of moments, give yourself the joy and pleasure of refocusing your thoughts on your vision of your best life. Persist in being confident, self-assured and motivated. Never let others pull you down and brush of the naysayers. Always keep your ultimate goal in mind and in the frame. Of course you can do it!

6. Don’t just be good, be Excellent:

Mediocrity should never be in the dictionary of awesome living.

Focus on being the best because, really, of course you are! Why settle for anything less than a truly awesome life. Being successful is not just about plain luck, because luck doesn’t last for ever. Success is all about being persistent, working hard, and putting in the effort to get where you need to go. Don’t just be good, strive to be excellent.

Awesome living doesn’t happen to anyone overnight, but by applying these tips always and consistently, you will put yourself firmly in the path of your personal greatness!

Today we’re going to explore a little bit about something that is a very important part of our lives – Beliefs. Yup that’s right! Beliefs.

Our beliefs are the fundamental tools of our thinking process which when changed and modified appropriately help us to change our life patterns substantially. Have you ever thought to think about where our beliefs come from? Do we get them from our parents, our peers, our cultural/ religious or social values , perhaps they are self created, maybe all of these things,maybe none of them at all.

What’s important to realize is that the things that we hold on to as beliefs can either hold us back in life or propel us forward towards better things. For example, have you ever been raised with the belief that money is no good or that money is the root of all evil. Or maybe that rich people are not honest… Think about it…if you look at this belief, it is essentially stopping you from being more abundant financially than where you are now. Because neither do you want to be evil nor do you want to be bad.And you definitely don’t want to be a dishonest induvidual. Because you associate money with all of these things, you subconsciously block the flow of financial wealth into your life.

What if you were to look at this in a different way. Supposing you decide that maybe you would rather believe that money is easily and effortlessly available. Or that good people invite more abundance into their lives. Would you then experience a shift in perspective and therefore your outer reality?

So today I’d like to suggest that you take some time to think over some of the main beliefs that you have in your life and whether they are holding you back in life or propelling your forward to better things. Then consider, how you can reframe your beliefs to more positively impact your life! It is after all your beliefs that shape your world.

I just had to share this very beautiful poem from Marianne Williamson. My blessings to everyone ..another new day …another great opportunity to make a difference.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Coming into the new year…it’s important to really focus on goals that didn’t materialise over the year gone by and understand what steps you can take to bring them into fruition over the next 11 months. It can even be a simple goal that you’d like to newly set for your personal progress in 2014. Goals should be SMART – i.e Specific, Measurable, Achievable,Relevant, and Time bound; and broken into baby steps to give you shorter achievable targets.

For example, as opposed to just thinking ” I need to lose weight,” think in terms of “I need to lose 2 kilos before February,” which is both specific, measurable and a more realistic target. Setting a goal of say 10 kilos by the end of the month is going way beyond what is a healthy or an achievable target which in turn sets you easily up for disappointment.

Also think about what things you can do to creatively to achieve your goals and work towards incorporating them into your life. For example, “How can I change my diet to achieve this goal and what type and how much physical activity should I incorporate to get my target weight loss?”. Closely examine your plans to see if tweaks need to be made to better prepare you for success. For instance, to achieve a goal of weight loss, I definitely need to take out or moderate processed foods, sugar,red meat, alcohol and oily foods; control my portions and achieve atleast a minimum of an 1 hours’ worth of exercise daily or atleast 5 days a week. I also need to drink atleast a minimum of 2-3 litres of water daily to assist fat loss as well as the natural detoxification process.

As you start to get comfortable in the path of steady progress it’s important to take stock of and modify your goals as needed. For instance, let’s say you’ve hit a weight loss plateau. Consider if you need to increase your level of exercise or honestly review your diet to see if there’s anything getting in the way of success. Remember, goals should also be realistic. So aim to be at a healthy body weight as opposed to being size zero for instance when your body in it’s most natural and healthy state is anything but.

It’s important to not berate yourself or put yourself down if you find yourself slipping on occasion. Pick yourself back up and get right back on track. Momentary lapses should never hold you back from achieving your larger goal. Like everything thing else in life, goals are easily achievable as long as you persist , stay focussed and work at it consistently.Good luck and do let me know how you’re getting on :-)